The Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center , a National Facilitation Project of the CSREES National Integrated Water Quality Program, and The National Center for Manure & Animal Waste Management , funded by the USDA Fund for Rural America, are important projects helping USDA address this issue.
The goal of the National Water Program is to protect or improve water resources throughout the United States and its territories through research, education and extension efforts. The National Water Program has identified Animal Waste Management as a theme on which to focus these efforts.
What are CSREES and the Land Grant System Doing to Improve Animal Waste Management?
Research
CSREES and the Land Grant System is collaborating in many innovative
research efforts to reduce the water quality impacts from all livestock
and poultry
feeding
operations, ranging from small farms to Concentrated Animal Feeding
Operations (CAFOs). Phosphorus
and pathogen transport
from animal operations and the land application of
manure are the primary water quality impacts from these operations
and are therefore the focus of considerable research. Researchers
are designing, improving, and testing animal
waste best management practices (BMPs) to prevent excess
nutrients and pathogens from entering surface and ground water.
Alternative manure collection, treatment,
and storage technologies and new
uses for manure are being investigated and implemented
to prevent water quality degradation. Improvements in feeding
programs, feed additives, and biotechnology are being investigated
to reduce the amount of nutrients in animal manures. Other researchers
are examining the fate of hormonal and growth
promoter pollution
as well as mortality managment. These advances have the potential
to increase profitability while protecting
water
quality.
All aspects of animal waste management are being explored to help
farmers and local decision makers utilize the nutrient resources
available in animal manure as an economic
advantage in crop
production while remaining environmentally sustainable in the long-term.
Education
Through the Land-Grant University System partnering with CSREES,
the numerous college-level courses and degree programs offered
pertaining to agriculture and animal waste management help to
educate
students, citizens, farmers, and future livestock/poultry producers
on wise animal waste management practices that will improve
or protect water quality.
Extension
Extension programs within CSREES are providing
technical assistance, tools, and training to
farmers to ensure that animal waste BMP’s
and alternative technologies are implemented in their animal
operations to protect or improve water quality. Extension staff
also work with local communities, state agencies, and federal
partners
in developing educational
programs that help stakeholders achieve their goals.
Numerous Extension programs are working with farmers
and citizens to assess and prevent contamination
risks due to animal waste. Other Extension programs are working
to put together producers of manure with those in need
of
manure
(animal waste resource trading opportunities) in order to best utilize
this resource and prevent contamination of surface or ground water.
These efforts are resulting in more animal waste being stored, handled, and applied to land appropriately thereby improving and protecting water quality.
Why is Animal Waste Management Important?
Animal waste from farms and livestock/poultry and dairy production operations can severely threaten water quality if not managed properly. Animal waste from the 1.3 million farms with livestock and poultry (U.S. EPA estimate) across the nation has the potential to contribute excess nutrients, pathogens, organic matter, solids, and odorous compounds to the environment. This pollution can cause eutrophication of surface waters, degradation of ground water quality, and threats to human health.
Historically, manure generated by livestock has been returned to
the soil to improve its tilth and fertility. The USDA and USEPA
recognize that land application is the best method of utilizing
animal manures, however, recent trends have raised concerns of increased
water quality impairment. In order to stay economically competitive,
most commercial livestock and poultry operations have increased
the number of animals. Often, more manure is generated than can
be safely applied to the soil immediately surrounding that facility.
Consequently, waste treatment technologies must be upgraded, and
animal waste BMPs must be implemented and used more efficiently.
The U.S.
EPA released a new ruling on CAFOs in December of 2002 to strengthen
this regulatory program. Operators of CAFOs need assistance interpreting
and meeting the requirements of this ruling, and other farmers need
education on nutrient management, BMPs, and water quality concerns
to implement practices that will improve and protect water quality.
More information on how Animal Waste Management is being addressed throughout the country is available via these Regional Water Programs (these external links will open in a new window):
Great Lakes Heartland Mid-Atlantic New England New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Northern Plains and Mountains Pacific Northwest Southern Southwest States and Pacific Islands
The following people generously volunteered their time and expertise to assist with the development of the Animal Waste Management area of this website:
Richard
Hegg, CSREES
Joe
Lally,
Iowa State University
Mark Risse, University
of Georgia
Mary Ann Rozum,
CSREES
This National Theme website, Animal Waste Management, was developed and is maintained by Kelly Addy (kaddy@uri.edu) and Greg Bonynge, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881.